Weighing the Evidence Summative Evaluation

January 2nd, 2017 | EVALUATION

In 2012, the Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM) received funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop an exhibition utilizing objects from the former Museum of Questionable Medical Devices (QMDs), contextualizing them in the greater conversation about scientific skepticism and how people make healthcare decisions. The resulting exhibition, Weighing the Evidence, opened in December 2015. This kt, object-based exhibition is organized into four islands of artifacts with accompanying information and hands-on “Try It” interactives, which allow visitors to experience some questionable medical devices first hand. The exhibition’s positioning at a junction gallery space provides high visitor foot traffic in and out of the area. An exhibition evaluation was conducted in the winter of 2016.

Document

WtE-Final-Summative-Report-compressed.pdf

Team Members

Laurie Fink, Principal Investigator, Science Museum of Minnesota
Gretchen Haupt, Evaluator, Science Museum of Minnesota
Kaleen Tison Povis, Evaluator, Science Museum of Minnesota

Funders

Funding Source: NIH
Funding Program: SEPA
Award Number: R25 OD 010544-01

Related URLs

Weighing the Evidence: Making Informed Health Care Decisions

Tags

Audience: Evaluators | General Public | Museum | ISE Professionals
Discipline: Health and medicine | Nature of science | Technology
Resource Type: Evaluation Reports | Interview Protocol | Observation Protocol | Research and Evaluation Instruments | Summative | Survey
Environment Type: Exhibitions | Museum and Science Center Exhibits